The present invention is related to a shift device, and more particularly, to a shift device for shifting a connected state of a vehicle transmission through electric control.
A plurality of shift devices that can shift a connected state of a transmission (shift range) have been proposed in the prior art. In the conventional shift devices, a shift position display is arranged on an instrument panel or a shift operation unit. However, the shift position display is only lit to display the shift range of the transmission. Therefore, it is difficult to optimally operate the shift device.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shift device that is optimally operated.
In one perspective of the present invention, a shift device provided in a vehicle has a transmission. The shift device shifts a shift range of the transmission. The shift device includes a shift operation unit, a controller, and a light emitting device. The shift operation unit is connected to the transmission of the vehicle to shift the shift range of the transmission. The controller determines whether the shift range of the transmission should be shifted in accordance with a driving environment and generates a shift instruction signal when determining that the shift range of the transmission should be shifted. The light emitting device is connected to the controller to give a notification for operation of the shift operation unit in accordance with the shift instruction signal.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.